Steroid Hormones Part 4: Female and Male Life Cycles

Before we look at hormonal
imbalances, let’s get a quick understanding of the hormonal stages of the typical
female and male life cycles.

Female Life Cycle

Once the female reaches puberty she
has entered her reproductive years.To
reach full reproductive maturity can take up to four years.It is also common for the initial menstrual
cycles to be irregular for several months or
years.The reproductive years last for approximately
30 plus years.

The next stage is called perimenopause.It marks beginning of the transition to
menopause. This can be one of the more difficult stages for the modern female
as things begin to change.Cycles and
hormones now fluctuate creating more mood swings and fatigue.In addition there are more cycles without
ovulation.Perimenopause officially ends
with menopause which is considered to be 12 consecutive months with no cycle.

The biological wiring of the human female is for this
process to take 2-3 years.However, it
has become common for this transition to take 8-12 years in the modern female.

Menopause is the permanent cessation of menstruation due to loss of most ovarian
function.There is another common
misperception here.While it is true
that ovarian estrogen and progesterone production have stopped, there can still
be testosterone production.Therefore,
the ovaries still do serve a purpose after menopause.The average age for menopause is 51. Smoking
has been shown to accelerate the process by two years.

Menopause is known for some unpleasant symptoms, some of
which are also experienced during perimenopause.Most of these originate with hormonal
imbalances which we will discuss later.Menopause symptoms affect both the physical, mental and emotional
bodies.

A variety of factors have been identified that affect these
symptoms.Positive factors which reduce
the symptoms include being in general good health and having a low stress
lifestyle as the transition begins.These women typically have strong adrenals, a healthy thyroid, have a
good balance of minerals, and normal cholesterol levels (220-240).

Yes, there is such a thing as the “grumpy old man.”This is called andropause.While it does not receive all the attention
of its female counterpart menopause, it is just as real and disruptive to the
person experiencing it.The “official” definition
of andropause is the loss of androgen dominance in men.

Andropause is different than menopause in that its onset is
often gradual.The symptoms are often
missed or treated as separate issues without recognizing the underlying change
in male hormone status.The key hormone
is testosterone.Once men reach around
40 years old their free testosterone levels (the active form) begin to decline
1-2% each year.You can see that it
starts out slow, but 10-15 years or more down the road it is a significant drop
from where the man was at age 20, 25, or 30!

Positive and negative factors affecting a man’s experience
during andropause are similar to those described above impacting
menopause.

It is important to note from our earlier discussion testosterone
is made from cholesterol and plays an important role in maintaining healthy
levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. Statin medications have been shown to
lower testosterone levels.

Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and
Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create
individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Mequon, WI. To
learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call
(262) 389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.

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